Folks,

 

I'm generally posting about my 99 Impreza Outback Sport but about six months ago, I picked up a 96 Geo Prism from a kid.   Great engine/trans (Toyota) and I knew it needed new front wheel bearings and a set of rear struts.

 

Long story short:  for a bunch of reasons, the car sat outside in the No. WI.. weather for six months. 

 

Got to work on the rear struts today and ran into a snag trying to get the rear tire off!   Aaaargh.   Whoever this kid had working on the car, obviously used an impact wrench on the wheel lugs and they were REALLY tight.    Now I can't get the rim off the wheel. 

 

I know by reading the forum that someone had once suggested loosening the lug nuts up and driving around crazily (I can do that!) but I'm reluctant to do that UNLESS it's the best and fastest way.   Beat on it with a BFH,,,,, (big F hammer) and got nowhere.

 

Sprayed it down with PB Blaster and going to let it sit overnite. 

 

So, I need some ideas.   I know this has been talked about before but I couldn't find it in a search.

 

Thanks,

UMT

 

You're trying to get a rim off the wheel?? That doesn't make any sense. You mean the wheel is rusted stuck to the hub?

I assume you got all the lug nuts off? Steel rims getting rusted on is nothing really uncommon. I have a gigantic deadblow hammer to get them free.

 

If you can't get it off with a hammer, the other option... is not to drive around like an idiot with no lug nuts. That'll ruin other stuff.

 

Put the lug nuts back on finger tight, then back them off two turns. Put the car on the ground, go about 10mph and slam the brakes on hard. That'll loosen it up. Jack it back up and see if it's loose.

Thanks.   No, I'm not about to drive around like a nut with no lug nuts.  

 

 

Sorry I didn't explain the situation very well.

It has nothing to do with the lugs being on tight. They get stuck over time, anyway. Especially open ended ones.

All steel rims rust them selves stuck to the car. That's what happens when two steel things are soaked in salt water all winter. heh.

Just had to do rear brakes on my mom's 09 outback. It had new tires put on it last spring, so the wheels haven't been off for a year. I had to beat the ever living piss out of them with a dead blow to get them off.

I've gotten into the habit of smearing a bit of never-seize on the surfaces where the rim and the hub meet. Gotta get that rim off first, though 

I've gotten into the habit of smearing a bit of never-seize on the surfaces where the rim and the hub meet. Gotta get that rim off first, though 

 

Yea, it's actually stuck to the brake rotor or brake drum, technically. I do the same thing between rotor and hub so those don't stick together.

Ach. Yeah, I meant rotor. I was distracted by UPS dropping off my new clutch kit at the front door.

 

Yep, that's my story and I'm stickin' to it. ;oD

Thanks to all.   The wheel sat, soaked in PB, all nite.   I got a 6' long piece of steel behind it this morning and after two firm tugs, the wheel popped right off the hub. 

 

Ultimately, it took me longer to get the wheel off than it did to remove the strut assembly!  Ha.. 

 

I've had wheels that  were 'sticky' in the past but none this bad.   Thought I'ld better check with the board before I really screwed something up.

 

Thanks!

Now you just need to take off and reinstall the other three before you are stuck on the side of a road in a rainstorm.